Monthly Archives: October 2010

Halloween Safety for Kids

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The Trick-or-Treater Checklist

by Skye Schulte, MS, MPH

Remind your children that it’s important to:

  • Use a flashlight so they can see and be seen by others.
  • Stay in a group and communicate where they will be going.
  • Only go to homes with a porch light on.
  • Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk.
  • If no sidewalk is available, walk at the farthest edge of the roadway facing traffic.
  • Never cut across yards or use alleys.
  • Never enter a stranger’s home or car for a treat.
  • Obey all traffic and pedestrian regulations.
  • Always walk across a street—never run.
  • Only cross the street as a group in established crosswalks.
  • Remove any mask or item that will limit eyesight before crossing a street, driveway, or alley.
  • Follow the planned route and return home at the agreed upon time.
  • Don’t assume the right of way. Motorists may have trouble seeing trick-or-treaters. Just because one car stops doesn’t mean others will.
  • Never eat or drink unwrapped food items that may be offered.
  • Notify police or other law enforcement authorities if you see any suspicious or unlawful activities.

RESOURCES:

American Academy of Pediatrics
http://www.aap.org/

HAVE A SAFE HALLOWEEN!

PUMPKIN CARVING

Pumpkin CarvingIMG_2647

Carve the pumpkin just a few days before Halloween if you want it to be nice on Halloween, as pumpkins rot quickly. Work with the children to plan the design on paper and then draw it onto the pumpkin before you begin cutting. Cut off a lid to clean out the inside of the pumpkin and design holes large enough to let light shine out when you’re done. With a special safe knife designed for pumpkin carving, the children can help carve the pumpkin. Check with your family to see if they have one of the special knives – they sell them in supermarkets if you need one. Always cut away from yourself using slow steady cuts. Scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh (this is a messy but fun job!). See the seasonal calendar for October for recipes using the seeds and the pumpkin you have cut away.

Pumpkin Carving and Decorating Safety Tips:

  • Don’t allow small children to carve pumpkins. Children can draw a face with markers and then an adult or older sibling can do the carving.
  • Supervise children ages 5-10 and have them carve with pumpkin cutters equipped with safety bars.
  • Use small votive candles for candle-lit pumpkins.
  • Place lighted pumpkins on a sturdy table, away from curtains and other flammable objects.
  • Never leave lit pumpkins unattended.

You can also follow this slide show on how to carve a pumpkin like a pro:

http://crafts.slides.kaboose.com/317-halloween-pumpkin-crafts

HAPPY CARVING!

HALLOWEEN GUIDE FOR AU PAIRS….

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Halloween is the day children dress up in costumes and, in many communities, go door-to-door to ask for candy.It is celebrated every year on October 31st.

Here are some interesting facts about Halloween:

How did trick-or-treating begin?
The modern practice of trick-or-treating appears to have originated from a combination of the Celtic new year celebration called Samhain celebrated on October 31st and the early Christian ritual related to All Saints Day, celebrated on November 2nd.

The Celts believed that on Samhain, spirits of the dead would come back and try to posses the bodies of the living. So to avoid being possessed by a ghost, living Celts would dress up in scary costumes and parade around the town making a lot of noise, so as to scare the spirits away. This is where the modern tradition of wearing costumes seems to have derived from.

As for the collection of treats, most scholars credit early Christians’ ritual of “souling” to the development of this festive activity. In connection with their All Saints Day celebration, Christians would walk door to door collecting square pieces of currant bread called “soul cakes”. The person who collected the cakes would say prayers on behalf of a deceased relative. The more cakes collected, the more prayers were said and the quicker the soul of the deceased would find heaven.
The combination of these two early activities has evolved into the modern practice of trick-or-treating.


How did “bobbing for apples” become a popular Halloween activity?
The apple has historically been associated with immortality and fertility because when cut down its center it has a five point star. This five pointed star was a common goddess symbol in many ancient religions and believed to help determine marriages, especially during the magical, spiritual season of Samhain. During early celebrations, apples would be hung either from a string or placed in a tub of water and young, unmarried people would try to take a bite. The first one to successfully bite the apple was believed to be the next one married.

Why are bats associated with Halloween?
In early Halloween celebrations, people often gathered around giant bonfires to ward off evil spirits. Night-flying insects were attracted to the flames, which made bonfires the perfect feeding ground for bats. Thus, bats became quickly synonymous with Halloween celebrations. Additionally, during the Middle Ages, people began to link bats to witches because the both seemed to mystically fly throughout the dark night and disappear during the day.

Have people always carved pumpkins for Halloween?
Jack-o-lanterns are an Irish tradition brought to America by early Irish immigrants. But early jack-o-lanterns were not pumpkins, they were turnips, rutabagas or gourds that were hollowed out. Lights were placed in them to ward off evil spirits and to keep “Stingy Jack” (the legendary Irish drunkard and prankster, believed to have made a deal with the devil and condemned to walk the earth upon death, whose namesake has been given to modern day, carved pumpkins) away. It was not until the 1800’s when Irish immigrants came to America and found pumpkins to be so plentiful and easier to carve, that the tradition was altered.

And now, are you ready for some Hallloween crafts and costume ideas?

This link will help you find some fun things to do with the kids:

http://crafts.slides.kaboose.com/316-halloween-crafts

http://crafts.slides.kaboose.com/254-homemade-halloween-costumes